Government regulations, as well as consumer demands, have greatly increased the number of control systems located in the area of a vehicle steering wheel. Many of these control systems require electrical wiring for their operation. Heretofore, each of these electrical control systems required its own wiring. The number of these circuits, including their individual leads, has resulted in complex coupling systems in order to connect those parts of the system which are rotatable with the steering wheel to the fixed position storage battery or power supply.
Pruneski, U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,536, discloses a multi-track slip ring for coupling a plurality of vehicle control circuits connected to the steering wheel to the power supply. Each of the circuits of Pruneski requires its own leads with the result that as the number of circuits increases, the complexity of the coupling system likewise increases. The cost of manufacturing an electrical coupling system such as Pruneski increases as the number of control circuits increases.
In view of the above problem, a new and unique apparatus for operating a plurality of vehicle control circuits connected to a common conductor is desireable both for its size and simplicity and for its lower cost of manufacturing.